Fireworks



Oct. 14, 1941.

L. L. DRIGGS, JR

FIREWORKS Filed Jan. 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l COMPRESG DRY PELLET6 FROM ANY Pvno TECHN/C POWDER AND ANY NON- HY6R0sc0P/c ampan APPLY WATERPROOF COAT/N6 T0 PELLETJ BY UMBLING WITH A LIQUID NON-AQUEOUS SUBSTANCE WHICH l6 WATER-RBSASTANT WHEN DRY NEAR FINAL STAGE OF TLIMBLING APPLY SUITABLE VWTER-REPELLENT DUST/N6 POWDER TO PREVENT PELLE-TG FROM GROUP/N6 T065 THE R.

BUILD AROUND WATER-PROOFED PELLET AN AGGLOMERATED COAT/N6 BY TUMBLING.

w- E2: I, m

DRY AGGLOMERATED COAT/N6 AFTER TUMBL I N 5- APPLY DECORATIVE COATING TO DRIED C OAT/ N6- FOR ROCKET STICK, DRILL ADDITION- AL HOLE PARALLEL TO FUSE HOLE.

INSER'T FUGEG INTO RESPECTIVE HOLES.

TO COMPLETE ROCKETS, INSERT ROCKET STICKS INTO RESPECT! V5 HOLEG, OR ATTACH STICK TO OUT- SIDE OF PELLET TO COMPLETE OPINNER; ATTACH WING TO BELLY OF PELLET AND \BUBGTA-NT/ALLY PARALLEL 7'0 FUSE, OR A TACH 016C OF ARD BOARD TO BELLY OF PELLET INVENTOR I LOU/6 L. DR/GGfnJE.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 2,259,155 FIR WORKS Louis L. Driggs, Jr., Tipp City, Ohio, assignor to The Kilgore Manufacturing Company, Westerville, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 3, 1939, Serial No. 249,018

6 Claims.

. Myinvention relates to fireworks and a process of making.

It is the object of my inventionlto provide "a fireworks of uniform characteristics so that the performance of all similar pieces of fireworks will be the same. Heretofore this has been a very difficult thing to secure and has resulted in many pieces of fireworks either performing improperly or;not at' all. As there was no way to check this condition, it was not discovered until the user endeavored to employ the fireworks.

It is-the object of the presentinvention .to provide a piece of fireworks and the method of making it which will insure uniformity of performance through having a'uniform product as is made step by step and providing means of preserving the uniform character of the production as thus made so that it will not deteriorate from the time it is made until the time it reaches the hands of the consumer.

One of the main problems with fireworks has been the absorption of moisture into the material eitherfrom the surrounding air or from the material used in the successive stages, which brings about an irregular performance or com! plete deterioration of the fireworks.

It-is the particular object ofthis invention to provide a process by which there is provided a dry compressed pellet of pyrotechnic material held together by a non-hygroscopic binder; a

complish the pyrotechnic. and flight resultsdesired.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the five major steps of the process with parallel indications diagrammatically illustrated of some J typical mechanism for performing each step.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the compressed pellet of pyrotechnic material.

Figure 3 is the same pellet coated with a nonaqueous coating.

Figure 4 is the coated pellet having its agglomerated coating.

Figure 5 is a vertical section through Figure 4 showing the position of a lateral fuse-hole.

Figure 6 is the same view showing a longitudinal fuse hole.-

Figure? is a similar view showing a'vertical fuse hole and a longitudinal stick hole.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the coated pellet of Figure 5 with a fuse applied.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the coated pellet of Figure 6 with a fuse applied.

Figure 10 is'a side elevation of the coated pellet of Figure '7 with a fuse applied. 4

Figure 11 is a front elevation of the fireworks item showing the relationship of the stick to the liquid non-aqueous coating dried thereon, which coating is water-resistant when it is dried; an agglomerated shell dried thereon; and drilled or formed holespierced through the shells and It is also an object to provide for the attachment of spinner vanes and the'rnounting. of the fireworks thereon and therein in such a manner as to provide a bearing surface for therrotation of the spinner, and in some cases, means of causing the spinner to rise from the ground and fl I The difiiculty heretofore experienced with spinners has been that the irregularity of the fireworks has caused marked irregularity in performance. The present invention remedies such difliculty. The importance of this lies particucoatings into the pyrotechnic material for sticks, I fuses and other similar devices, which are sealed into position.

larly in the fact that the spinner, whether it stays on the ground or whether it rises in the air, must travel at a very high rate of speed, amounting to some thousands of revolutions per minute, and do so customarily in order to ac- Figure 12 is a side elevation thereof. In Figures 11 and 12 the stick is glued to the side of the pellet.

Figure 13 is a top plan view of a spinner known 7 in the trade as a gyro-fiyer.

Figure 14 is a front elevation thereof. Figure 15 is a top plan view of a different form of spinner known in the trade as a hummer.

Figure 16 is a section on the line Iii-I6 of- Figure 15, looking in the direction of the arrows with the fireworks in full line position. 1

Figure 17 is a similar view showing a modifica-' tion in which instead of the fireworks item projecting through an opening in the disc, the disc is bent to form a shoulder or protection upon which the spinning is performed. Referring to the drawings in detail he steps of the process are as follows:

Step; 1

' The first step is to compress a pellet or rod, or to extrude a rod consisting of a black powder and camauba wax, 9'? percent pulverized black gun powder and 3 percent carnauba wax. It will be understood that any non-hygroscopic binder.

may be impressed in the place of the waxw'ith any suitable pyrotechnic powder. 1f sparks are several The second step is to coat this pellet 5 with a liquid, non-aqueous coating 6 and dry it. This coating is also water-resisting when it is dry. A

satisfactory coating consists of orange shellac dissolved in alcohol of approximately four pound cut consisting of four pounds of flake shellac to a gallon of alcohol. It is preferred to tumble the pellets with a small amount of the coating material in a tumbling barrel 1. Near the final stage of the tumblingoperation, the coating of shellac on the surface of the ellet will become so tacky that the pellets will tend to adhere, one to the other. In this stage, it is necessary to introduce some suitable dusting powder 8 to prevent the pellets grouping together. A suitable dusting powder is zinc stearate. This has been found to be entirely satisfactory in preventing the sticking together of the pellets, and at the same time it is. by nature water-repellent. Pellets coated in this manner have been submerged in water for three days and have been found to be entirely unaffected by the water at the end of this time.

It will be understood that these several phases of this step can be practiced in the same tumbling barrel, but I have illustrated it showing different barrels to make the steps of the process perfectly clear. The resulting product is shown in Figure 3 with its non-aqueous coating 6.

Step 3 The next step is to build around the waterproofed pellet the agglomerated shell 9. The agglomeration consists of sodium silicate and fine sawdust. This is applied by tumbling in the tumbler Ill. The decorative finish I2 is thereafter applied after the agglomerative coating is dried as described, as on screen I I.

Step 4 The fourth step is to drill through the agglomerated coating by a drill l3, the water-proof coating and into the pyrotechnic material. In the case of a rocket, the hole is'drilled longitudinally, as at M, into the pellet. The purpose of the hole is toprovide an entrance for a fuse IE to ignite the pellet and an exit for the gases of a combustion of the pellet.

A Step 5 Two types of drilling are used. One, a longitudin'al hole M, if the pellet is desired for use as used. The stick can be attached by gluing to the outside surface of the pellet, as at H, but'a better mechanical arrangement can be secured if another hole I 8 is drilled parallel to the fuse hole and the stick is inserted therein.

If a spinner is desired, a wing I9 is pasted under the bottom of the pellet as completed with the fuse placed at an angle to the pellet, with the axis of the fuse substantially horizontal or substantially parallel to the plane of the wing. If the fuse is directed slightly'downwardly, the exit to the gas gives slight additional lift to the n01 mal lift of the wings.

There are two spinner items: one of which has the pellet attached to a small paper'propeller I9 in such a manner thatthe exit of the gases of combustion from the pellet will impart rotation to the propeller and, thereby cause the wing to lift and the entire device to leave the ground. The other item is made by gluing a pellet body to a disc 20 of card board. This device does not fly, but due to the reduced resistance, a very high speed rotation is imparted to the device so that while it rotates a humming or buzzing noise is produced. The type with wings is the gyroflyer and the type with the disc is known as the hummer.

It will be noted in Figure 16 that the fireworks pellet projects through an opening 2| in the disc 20, to which it is attached by the glue 22. The rotation therefore is upon the underside of the fireworks, while the disc is held slightly above the ground, as indicated by the ground line 23.

The form shown in Figure 1'7 is one in which the disc is bent downwardly into a projecting portion 24 which rests upon the-ground 23. The fireworks is mounted partly within the depression formed by the part 24 and is attached to the disc 20 by the glue 22.

It will be understood that as a result of havin the non-hygroscopic pellet of dry. compressed pyrotechnic material coated and protected with a liquid non-aqueous coating and optionally further protected by a water-repelling coating of zinc stearate, it is possible to use such material as sodium silicate for the agglomerated shell without contaminating the pyrotechnic pellet with the water from the sodium silicate. When the sodium silicate is finally dried, it'then becomes an additional water-repelling coating for protecting the pellet. 1 It will be understood that the drilled hole l8 may be optionally drilled into the pellet 5.

With special reference to Figures 13 and 14, the wings of pasteboard I9 are grooved, as at [9a, to maintain the wings in position with their predetermined warp, as indicated at I91 These grooves also form means of holding the cradle l9c in its predetermined form for receiving the fireworks. The twist of these wings gives the vertical movement while the discharge of the gas through the fuse hole gives the rotary movement. The discharge of the gas from the fuse hole I6 is not relied upon to elevate the fireworks.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invenyon such-modifications as maybe necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as' new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a method of manufacturing a fireworks, compressing dry pyrotechnic powder and a waterfree wax binder therefor to form a pellet of dry compressed pyrotechnic material; thereafter'applying analcoholic non-aqueous shellac coacting and drying it until tacky; thereafter applying a water-repellent zinc stearate coating while the dust and drying said shell.

2. A new article of manufacture for use as a fireworks comprising a fireworks body consisting -of a compressed non-hygroscopic pyrotechnic pellet, a water-proof coating over said pellet, an agglomerated coating enclosing said pellet and a fuse mounted in said coatings, said fuse being mounted in a. single hole extending into said pellet angular to the axis of the pellet, and a pasteboard wing structure attached to the bottom of .said pellet at right angles thereto, said wings being curved upwardly and, reversely warped, said upward curvature providing a substantially friction-free base for saidfireworks to permit the fireworks to rotate due to the expulsion of gas I through the fuse hole, said warped wings causing itto rise. x

3. A new article of manufacture for use as a fireworks comprising a fireworks body consisting of a pyrotechnic pellet, an agglomerated coating and a fuse mounted in said coating and extending into said pellet angular to the axis of -the pellet, a pasteboard wing structure attached to the bottom of said pellet at right angles thereto,

said wings being, curved upwardly reversely warped, whereby the fireworks is provided with a substantially friction-free base to permit rotation due to the expulsion of gas through thefuse hole, said warped wings causing it to rise, and

means of reinforcing said wings and of supporting said fireworks comprising a depressed rib intermediate the ends of said wings and an arcu-- ate socket portion for receiving said fireworks.

4. In combination, a fireworks item comprising an elongated body consisting of a pyrotechnic body capable of producing a large volume of gas,

- fireworks can rotate, the warp of the wing causing it to rise upon rotation.-

5. A fireworks comprising. a disc having a central opening therein, a compressed non-hygroscopic pyrotechnic pellet having an enclosing -water-proof coating and an agglomerated coating surrounding said coated pellet, said pellet extending partially through said opening in said disc and having a curved bottom upon'which said fireworks is supported, and a fuse extending into said pyrotechnic material tangentially with respect said disc through which gas developed by the pyrotechnic material can escape to cause rotation of said fireworks. Y

6. A fireworks comprising, a disc having a depressed portion centrally located therein,- a pyrotechnic pellet mounted upon said disc on the upper face thereof, the central axis ofthe Py otechnic pellet being aligned with the axis of the depressed portion of said disc, and a fuse extending into said pyrotechnic material tangentially with respect said, disc through which gas developed by the pyrotechnic material can escape to cause rotation of said fireworks.

LOUIS L. DRIGGS, JR. 

